A neo-lambic ale that goes through both a yeast and bacteria fermentation and is then aged on oak chips and 400 pounds of Delaware peaches. This beer is very tart and complex. It is bottle-conditioned in champagne bottles.

wow, this is a stunner. i wish they would fourpack this one instead of the base version. this is ten times the beer, and i like festina peche. this has way more peach, riper, less candy-like, and the oak takes it to the next level, blending subtle vanilla and sap into the fold. the beer is also much more sour than the base berliner beer we all know. its way more lactic, puckery as anything and super dry. carbonation is equally aggressive as it is in peche, but in lente the beer is bigger, so its more in demand. im not sure if the grain bill is bigger, the peaches added that much more fermentables, or if its just a more patient brew. perhaps some combination of all three. but i love the wheat weight to this, its got body but its also really light without sacrificing flavor. the peach is so forward, i love how intense it is, driven home by effervescent carbonation too, very cool palate on it. not often a beer this dry can retain so much fruit flavor, but somehow it does. i also like how the oak brings it all together, its only minimally oaky, not weighty and mature, its still young and clean, but it helps. maybe just as a vector for the bugs, but this has the perfect mix of carbonation, fruit flavor, sourness, and alcohol. one of the best dogfish beers i can recall, and its ones like this that keep me a loyal supporter through the less impressive musings.

Back story: I went to the Dogfish Head brewery on the 4th of July, three days ago for a free tour. As my girlfriend and I were leaving, we saw Sam Calagione walking in. We instantly turned around and went back in, and I got another beer just to sit around and talk to Sam, the owner and founder of Dogfish Head. He said he was there to unveil the first ever "Vintage Beer Thursdays" at Dogfish, and to stick around to try some of the beers he had brought in. Of course we agreed. Some more people showed up (I guess this was an event, but we were just at the right place at the right time) and then they started pouring some old brews.

The one my girlfriend and I decided on was called Festina Lente, and was from 2004. Sam told the story that they brewed this beer back then, and a lot of it was essentially recalled because so many buyers/distributors were complaining that it was too bitter to even drink. Sam saved a few cases of bombers until now. Nearly a decade later, I guess this beer was ready for some more open-minded people.

It poured a bronze/peach sort of color, and smelled overwhelmingly tart. I took one sip, and it reminded me of putting a bunch of Warheads in your mouth as a kid. Extremely tart! However, it was very enjoyable. We sipped on this beer for a while. The mouthfeel was puckering, and it had little carbonation at all. I guess after 9 years this makes sense though. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. I know I'll probably never get to taste this beer again, but what a treat it was.